Still don't own Naruto
Chapter 48 No Time to Rest
Naruto and the others walked at a reasonable pace back to Konoha. Because of Ino's injuries they could not move at full speed but that really didn't bother anyone.
In the end it took around five days to return to Konoha. "Hey your all back" Said Izumo as Naruto and Jiraiya walked past not bothering to get there passports stamped. But Naruto stopped so he could talk with the gate guards anyway.
"Yeah it was quite a bit of fun, and I'm a jonnin now along with Shikamaru" Naruto said as the lazy Nara walked past.
"Ah then I guess the message Tsunade sent was for you. She told us to tell you that she wanted every promoted ninja to come to her office immediately after returning" Kotetsu said handing Naruto a scroll.
"Yeah thanks for reminding us we completely forgot about it" Izumo admitted.
"Troublesome blond you just had to go and open your big mouth didn't you" Shikamaru said.
"Aw man we just got back you would think Tsunade Baa-chan would give us a rest" Naruto moaned.
"Sorry Naruto, welcome to the wonderful world of the jonnin. On call twenty four hours a day and because you don't have a genin team you will be picked first for difficult assignment's" Kakashi informed Naruto.
"Yeah, Yeah Laugh it up but don't forget that either yourself or Jiraiya sensei will be coming with me thanks to the stupid counsel's rule that I need a chaperone when ever I leave the village, and the Raikage's condition that Yugito be placed on my team and it be led by either of you" Naruto said with a smirk.
Kakashi paled at this. He could remember how busy they kept him as a young jonnin. He just hoped that was just because of the war and he wouldn't be forced to experience that again.
"Well I guess we better go see what Baa-chan want's" Naruto said with a sigh before turning to Yugito "Are you going to come as well Yugi-chan or are should I just meet you at home".
"Yeah I think I will come, if it is a mission it will save us some time if I come too" Yugito said.
The group made there way through the streets of Konoha towards the Hokage tower. Naruto still marveled at the complete turn around in public opinion of him as they all greeted the blonds group with friendly waves and the occasional bow.
Arriving at Tsunade's office Naruto and Jiraiya went to jump up through the window while the others went in the respectable way. "Hey Baa-chan. Miss me?" Naruto asked before dodging a book that she had been reading on medical procedures at the time.
"Welcome back gaki, how was your trip. I see you got a new Hetai-ite" Tsunade said.
"Yeah I got it for winning the Jonnin exam finals. I also got a promotion so I'm a jonnin now" Naruto said proudly.
"Well congratulations I guess, so where are the others, I take it they decided to enter like normal people and not like a couple of animals" she said with a smirk indicating Naruto and Jiraiya as the offending parties.
"Hey I will have you know that in an emergency the window if the fastest way to get to your office" Jiraiya said loudly.
"Maybe but there isn't an emergency is there so why do you always do it" Tsunade said.
"Training for when there is an emergency" Jiraiya said with a stupid grin.
"Plus it's easier this way, too many stairs otherwise" Naruto said.
"Gah your both impossible to deal with" Tsunade said as Naruto and Jiraiya both began listing reasons why the window is better that were slowly becoming more insane.
"It's also safer to use the window. What if the building explodes while inside and where nowhere near a window to jump out of" Jiraiya said adding to his already long list of excuses.
"Oh that's a good one" Naruto admitted.
"Well what can I say, I'm a man of many talent's" Jiraiya said happily.
"Oh what is by not coming in through the window we are too late to stop an assassination attempt that we would have stopped" Naruto said quite proud of himself.
"Will you two shut up" Tsunade ordered standing up from her desk just as the door opened and in came Yugito, Kakashi and the three promoted ninja.
"Uh is this a bad time" Kakashi asked with an eye smile.
Tsunade sighed and shook her head "No that's ok come in anything is better than listening to them ramble on" she said indicating Naruto and Jiraiya.
"Oh come on Baa-chan where not that bad" Naruto whined.
"She just says that, she really loves us" Jiraiya said cofidently.
"Can we just get on with this" Tsunade pleaded rubbing her forehead.
"Fine, what's up Baa-chan" Naruto said and he took a seat.
"I asked you all here so you can receive your new jackets and first assignment's as jonnin" Tsunade said.
"Cool so what have you got for us" Naruto said eagerly.
"Well for Lee and Shino, I want you both to return to your teams. Shikamaru I want you to lead a mission with team Ebisu to Suna to deliver new information on the Akatsuki. Naruto I have a mission for you there has been an attack on a nearby town by a group of bandits. I want you to go investigate the attack and if possible eliminate the bandits. I want you to go with Yugito and Jiraiya, oh and take Sakura to help with the injured villagers" Tsunade said handing out the mission assignment scroll's.
"When do we leave" Jiraiya asked.
"Tomorrow morning. You can have the rest of the day off, here are your new jonnin vest's" The Hokage said handing out the jacket's to the four newly promoted ninja.
"Well at least we get the rest of the day to relax" Naruto said taking his new jacket and putting it on.
"Yeah, how about we go get some lunch" Yugito said.
"Alright Ichiraku ramen it is. Then we should probably head over to the hospital to tell Sakura about our mission" Naruto said before jumping out through the window.
After the others left Jiraiya turned to Tsunade "It looks like the Akatsuki have both Iwa's jinchuuriki. Oonoki didn't come out and say it but he made it fairly obvious" H said somberly.
"I see, what of Kiri's jinchuuriki" Tsunade asked.
"It's unclear. Yagura was the last Sanbi jinchuuriki and the Rokubi has been a missing ninja for a long time" Jiraiya said.
"I see what of the Nanabi" the Hokage asked.
"Well Taki is not an easy place to get to, and from what I have heard they don't let there jinchuuriki leave the area around the village so for now the Nanabi is safe as far as I have been informed" the old sage said.
"I see, but that still mean's they could have as many as five of the nine already. It wont be long before they come for Naruto" Tsunade sounded worried as she went for her saki.
"Well Itachi will be thinking twice about attacking Naruto" Jiraiya said proudly.
"What do you mean again?" Tsunade demanded. The shock at hearing Naruto had already been targeted made her almost drop her precious saki.
"During the second task Itachi showed up but Naruto forced him to retreat, turns out Sasuke showed up and got in the middle of the fight" he said and began explaining what Naruto had told him about the second task and saving Kurotsuchi.
"Well that just mean's they will come harder next time. As for Sasuke and Orochimaru. I take it this has something to do with his experiments on sub elements. I still want to know how he is getting samples of my grandfather's cells" Tsunade said angrily.
"Yes it makes no sense the only place he could get them from is within this village and Tenzo. But Tenzo was sensei's guard for years and would never work with Orochimaru. What about the prisoner we dropped off before heading to Iwa, has she talked yet" Jiraiya asked remembering Guren, the crystal user.
"No she hasn't talked yet, but she is our best bet to find out the truth, I have left her with Ibiki and Anko and she is guarded by some of my most trusted Anbu" Tsunade said before pouring herself a saucer of saki and downing it in one swig.
"Tell me about this mission, it seems a little easy to need to send Naruto, Yugito and myself along with Sakura. I mean there just bandits aren't they" Jiraiya said taking the bottle of saki and pouring himself some.
"Mostly yes, but the man who hired us asked for Naruto's team. Apparently he saw the match before the chunin exam final's. Also the group are said to have several ninja and ex samurai from Iron country among them" she said finishing another saucer of saki.
"Samurai? For them to defect and go missing is considered worse than death in there culture. That isn't just rare and for them to be missing from the land of Iron where the samurai is there code is unheard of. For them to escape Mifune they must be some samurai" Jiraiya said becoming far more interested in the mission.
The two Sannin sat and drank after that talking about what happened in Iwa and Jiraiya giving Tsunade a blow by blow of the final's.
(Ichiraku Ramen)
"That was awesome. I missed this place so much" said Naruto patting his stomach after a large meal.
"Yeah and there sushi isn't bad either" Yugito admitted.
"Thank's for the food old man" Naruto called out to Teuchi.
"No worry's. Any time for our favorite customer" the old ramen chef called back.
"Well we better go find Sakura and tell her about our mission" Yugito said licking her fingers clean of the taste of sushi.
"I guess so, see ya old man Ayame Nee-chan" Naruto said as he stood up from the counter.
The ramen chef and his daughter gave the blond a friendly wave as the couple left in the direction of the hospital.
"So what do you think about this mission we have been given" Yugito asked as they walked down the street with the hospital in the distance.
"I think that there are people that will be or already are injured which is why we are taking Sakura. Other than that it seems like a standard case of bandits squeezing the life out of a small town and us being called in to clear them out" Naruto said.
"I guess but don't you think sending us is a bit of an over kill, I mean you could probably do this job yourself with clones" Yugito reasoned.
"Maybe there is a lot of them or there leaders are ninja. Either way its an A rank mission and so the pay will be good for both of us" Naruto said happily.
"I guess your right, still it seems more like a job for a group of chunin" Yugito said.
"Yeah but at least I get to do it with my two most precious people. And Sakura is not that bad once you get past the whole Uchiha fan girl thing" Naruto said as they entered the hotel to see Shizune placing some folders down on the bench.
"Hello Naruto-kun, Yugito-chan. What brings you around here today" Shizune asked.
"Hi Shizune Nee-chan we were actually looking for Sakura, we need to tell her about a mission we are all going on tomorrow morning" Naruto said.
"Oh I think she is on the third floor. Follow me" Shizune said signaling for the two blond's to follow her.
They walked up two flights of stairs and came to a ward that Naruto had not been to before. "Hey what's with all the bright colors" Naruto said.
"Oh this is the childcare and maternity ward, surely you were brought here when you were younger" Shizune said.
Naruto looked down at this "No they wouldn't treat me here. I was always looked at by jiji's doctor in a private ward" he said.
"Oh I didn't know" Shizune said remorsefully. She was upset that she brought up Naruto's past.
"Nah it's ok. So anyway where's Sakura" Naruto said with a smile.
"She should be out any second now" Shizune said and just as she finished a door opened in front of them and out came Asuma and Kurenai who was starting to get bigger.
"Hey Asuma sensei, how have you been" Naruto called out.
"Good thanks to you Naruto" Asuma admitted.
"Don't tell me your here for a check up yugito" Kurenai said with a small smile indicating she though the blond haired jinchuuriki was pregnant as well.
Both Yugito and Naruto blushed heavily at this before heavily denying the possibility. "No we are just here to find Sakura to tell her about a mission" Naruto managed out once there protest's became understandable.
"Oh what a shame it would have been good to have someone to talk to about pregnancy stuff that wont continuously try to light up a cigarette" Kurenai said.
"Ah well I don't think either of us are ready yet" Yugito admitted still blushing bright red.
"Yeah I cant be a father yet, I am way too busy which means I would have to higher a babysitter and then they would spoil the child and he would end up with a swelled head like Sasuke-teme" Naruto said.
"Ok that's it. Your not allowed to hang out with Omoi any more. Your constant competing to out do Jiraiya-sama and bickering when you disagree on the outcome is bad enough. But I will not have you fantasizing about possible outcomes while I am around" Yugito said bonking Naruto on the head.
"Ow, sorry Yugi-chan I'll behave" Naruto mumbled while pouting.
"Well we better go. We have lots of things to buy for the baby today, and remember what the doctor said. No smoking until you are back on active duty and defiantly no smoking around me while I am pregnant" Kurenai said.
Asuma seemed to deflate at this. Not only was he forced to go shopping but he was stopped from smoking until he was back on active duty in a couple of months. To Naruto he seemed to be contemplating whether surviving Hidan's attack was a good thing or not.
After Asuma and Kurenai left Sakura came out of the same room the pair of jonnin just left from.
"Naruto, what are you doing here. If you got Yugito pregnant already I sear I am" Sakura didn't get to finish her threat.
"No" both blonds said there blush that had slowly retreated had come back in full fource.
"Yugi-chan is not pregnant we just came to tell you that we have been given a mission and we leave tomorrow morning" Naruto said.
"Oh alright then. I see you got promoted how were the exam's" Sakura asked.
"Yeah not bad the second task could have gone smoother but other than that I had no troubles" Naruto said.
"What happened in the second task, it couldn't have been that difficult for you I mean you beat both Kakashi sensei and Gai sensei at the same time, what could of possibly held you up" Sakura asked.
"You probably don't want to know" Naruto said knowingly.
"Sure I do come on just tell me" Sakura demanded.
"Fine, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha" Naruto admitted knowing Sakura would not react well.
"What, why was Sasuke-kun there" Sakura asked urgently.
"To kidnap the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. And when I stopped him Itachi showed up to capture me" Naruto said.
Sakura didn't seem to care about the elder Uchiha's appearance or the fact that Naruto was supposedly attacked.
"What happened, is Sasuke alright, how is Orochimaru controlling him" Sakura asked in quick succession not allowing Naruto a chance to answer.
"Sasuke is not being controlled by Orochimaru, his will is his own. That became perfectly clear when he gave up his chance to escape with Kurotsuchi to attack me and then when Itachi showed up he went bat shit crazy. I don't know what more anyone can do for him" Naruto said 'But I did promise Itachi I would try. I just hope Itachi is right about him' he thought not wanting that particular piece of information to get out.
"He cant be, Orochimaru is using him some how I just know it. Sasuke-kun would never attack a fellow ninja from Konoha" Sakura said.
"He has in the past, and he did this time. The only thing Orochimaru could be doing is corrupting him and driving him harder to chase his revenge. But even that has a downside. Push too hard and Sasuke will defeat Orochimaru so he cant take his body and to test himself to see if he is ready for Itachi" Naruto said.
Yugito during this time was struggling to believe that Sakura could have any feelings for the creep. She had only met him once when she first came to Konoha over three years ago and he seemed arrogant and completely unlikeable. In fact of all the Konoha teams that graduated the only people who have a nice thing to say about the younger Uchiha were Sakura and Ino. And even Ino had cooled considerably on her old crush.
Sakura began to tear up at this, she couldn't stand the thought that Sasuke was lost to her. "He can't be you must have missed something" Sakura said as tears began to fall down her face.
"Look I'm sorry Sakura but that is what happened, he still has a chance of redemption but it is becoming a slim one" Naruto said.
"I'm alright now. So who is leading the mission or are you taking charge" Sakura asked wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Nah Baa-chan put Jiraiya sensei in charge" Naruto said with a smile glad they had changed the topic off of the emo brooder.
"Jiraiya-sama is coming too, how dangerous is the mission that it will need two jonnin and a sannin" Sakura asked.
"I don't know it only seems like a group of bandits terrorizing a town but you never know, remember our trip to Wave country. That was supposedly a simple C rank mission" Naruto said
"Yeah I guess your right. Well it look's like we're working together again. I still have a lot of work to do, so I guess I will see you both tomorrow" Sakura said with a slight smile before taking the scroll and reading through it quickly before leaving to go upstairs.
"Well let's get home, I have a lot of work to catch up on with my seal's" Naruto said. And he grabbed Yugito's arm before using a shunshin to return to there apartment.
End Chapter!
Ok so this arc will probably only be a short one two or three chapter's at the most. Just until I think of a good way to put my own spin on the whole team Hebi and decide what to do with Itachi. Still tossing up to kill him or not, I sorta want to see what happens in the Cannon with the whole Itachi and Nagato vs Naruto and Bee thing before I decide.